Mobile folding table



y 1957 B. ANDERSON MOBILE FOLDING TABLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 10, 1955 INVENTOR. 56 26:91? ANDEESON A T roe/v5 Y5 May 14, 1957 Filed Jan. 10, 1955 B. ANDERSON MOBILE FOLDING TABLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. BE/QGR ANDEEfO/V ,4 rroe/vami MOBILE FOLDING TABLE Berger Anderson, Seattle, Wash.

Application January 10, 1955, Serial No. 480,724

Claims. (Cl. 311-92) The present invention concerns a folding table, one which is mobile when folded, but immobile and stable when unfolded.

Its principles may be illustrated in connection with a table useful for playing the game of table tennis, although the table has a much wider field of usefulness. For example, in industrial plants where it is desirable to spread out prints of large area for consultation, such a table is useful inasmuch as it may be moved about from spot to spot when folded, and yet when unfolded, will afford a stable support of large area for the display of the prints.

The general object of the invention has been indicated above. it is, in addition, among the objects to provide a table of the character indicated, which shall be of extremely simple shape and design, and inexpensive to manufacture, which may be readily folded or unfolded, and which will tend to maintain itself in either such position.

In particular, it is an object to provide a table of the character indicated, which incorporates two top leaves, hingedly connected along a transverse axis intermediate their ends, and a supporting structure at the center of the table, which incorporates two hingedly connected standards each of effective right-triangular shape, connected together, and each to its individual top leaf, in such a manner that when the table is folded, the shorter sides of the two standards are aligned and generally parallel to and close to the floor, whereas when the table is unfolded, the two standards incline outwardly from a common hinge axis joining the right angles of the two triangular standards, and the standards have been rocked outwardly at their upper ends, to rest then upon their outer points, and so to raise above the floor caster means which, when folded, are located beneath the shorter sides of the triangular standards, near the outer points, as a means of moving the folded table about the floor.

The principles of this invention and the manner in which the table is constructed in accordance with those principles will be more fully understood from the accompanying drawing, wherein the invention is shown in a presently preferred form, and from this specification, including the claims which terminate the same.

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the table unfolded, Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the same, and Figure 3 is an end elevational view of the table, also when unfolded.

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the table folded, and ready for movement about the floor, and Figure 5 is an end elevational view, corresponding to Figure 3, of the folded table.

The table preferably consists of only two top leaves, which, to distinguish them, are numbered 11 and 12. These two leaves are substantially identical, or rights and lefts with relation to one another, and may be provided with any suitable framing, as indicated at 10, for stiffness. These two leaves are hingedly connected along a first transverse axis at their inner ends, as indicated at 13.

nited States Patent 9 ice Details of the construction of the top leaves per se are immaterial.

The standards by which the table is supported consist of the left standard 21, and an identical but reversed right standard 22. These are of generally right-triangular format least, in eflect--when viewed in side elevation, as in Figures 1 or 4. Each has a shorter side 27 and a longer side 23 joining at the right angle, in addi- *tion to the hypotenuse 29. Naturally, the outline of these standards may differ radically in appearance from a triangle, so long as they have the general effect of a triangle. The two standards are pivotally connected by suitable hinge means at 23, the second hinge axis at 23 being parallel to and directly beneath the first hinge axis at 13, when the table is assembled. The hinge axis at 23 joins the two right angles of the standards 21 and 22 at the inner ends of the shorter sides 27.

At the upper end of the longer side 28, still further hinge means 25 and 26 join the standards to the respective top leaves, that is, the standard 21 is joined at 25 to the top leaf 11, and the standard 22 is joined at 26 to the top leaf 12. These third hinge axes 25 and 26 are parallel to the other hinge axes and are located preferably less than halfway from the hinge axis 13 to the outer ends of the respective leaves 11 and 12, so that when unfolded, the greater overhang of the outer ends of the leaves has a tendency, by pivoting about the respective hinge axes 25 and 26, to hold the table open, and to swing these outer ends downwardly. By provid-. ing for abutment of the framing elements it? of the top leaves, or in any other suitable manner, this tendency is halted in the position where the top leaves are in a common plane.

Caster means are provided for mobility of the table when folded. These caster means may be of any suitable nature, such as will enable the table to move readily over the floor. Glide domes of known style might be suitable in some instances. Because the form of these caster means is immaterial they have not been shown in detail. They are shown in a representative form at 31 and 32 for the respective standards 21 and 22. In each instance they are located outwardly of the hinge axis at 23, along the shorter sides 27 of the triangular standards, yet inwardly of the junction of such shorter side with the hypotenuse 29. No precise location may be given for such caster means, since their location depends upon the design of the standards and of the table generally, but speaking broadly, the caster means are located sufficiently inwardly from the outer points or corners of the standards, that when the table is unfolded, the standards will rock off the caster means and onto these points, resting on the points on the floor, with the caster means elevated above the floor. On the other hand, when the table is folded, the caster means, as seen in Figure 4, will rest upon the floor, for mobility.

When the table is folded with the leaves hinging about the hinge axis at 13, the two leaves will come into contact, both in upright position, as in Figure 4, and it is preferred that each standard be recessed along its longer edge 28, as indicated at 20, to leave space for the reception of the folded top leaves and their framework 10, and if need be, to provide a ledge to assist in supporting the weight of these folded leaves.

It will be noted that the distance between the hinge axis at 13 and the hinge axes at 25 and 26 is less than the distance between the hinge axis at 23 and the hinge axes at 25 and 26.

Starting with the table folded as in Figure 4, it requires only that the top leaves 11 and 12 be separated to initiate unfolding of the table. When this occurs, the hinge axis at 13 will tend to swing upwardly, and because of the separation of the hinge axes at 25 and 26,

the standards 21 and22 will swing outwardly, first, about the caster means at 31 and 32, and, finally, the standards will come to rest upon their outer points. By this time, the greater overhang of the outer ends of the leaves 11 and 12 will cause them to swing into a horizontal plane and to complete the unfolding of the table. Their tendency is to retain the table unfolded. Additional outboard legs 41 and 42, or any suitable outboard bracing means, may be employed if desired, to support these overhanging legs, although this is not strictly essential. Brace means 43 and 44 of known design may be employed to hold such legs in unfolded position, or to permit them to be folded flat against the leaves when the table is folded.

When thus unfolded, the table constitutes a stable support, with an adequately broad base, well centered, and one which will not move about. No extra braces nor locks are needed. A game of table tennis may be played upon such a table, or it may serve as a support for drawing prints or other data which is of large area and requires to be examined.

When it is desired to refold the table, the outboard legs 41, 42 are folded back again, if they are employed, and it is only necessary to depress the inner ends of the leaves in the vicinity of the hinge at 313. This will cause the outer ends of the leaves to swing upwardly about the hinge axes at 25, 26 and will initiate inward swinging of the standards 21 and 22, until the leaves have folded so far that they tend to swing finally into face to face contact, as in Figure 4, by which time the table is again resting on its caster means at 31, 32. The tendency is now for the table to remain folded. No locks are needed to retain it folded. The table is now freely mobile on the caster means, again has an adequately broad base, and can be moved readily through doorways of normal width and height, or otherwise through restricted spaces.

1 claim as my invention:

1. A mobile folding table comprising a top consisting of two leaves, each constituting half the tables length, when unfolded; a first hinge means connecting the inner transverse edges of said leaves; two upstanding center standards, each effectively of the shape of a right triangle when viewed in side elevation, having a shorter side which is horizontally disposed when the table is folded, and a longer side at right angles therewith, vertically disposed when the table is folded; second hinge means, parallel to the first hinge means, connecting said standards at their right angles, with their shorter sides directed oppositely thence; third hinge means, parallel to the other two hinge means, connecting each standard,

at the junction of its longer side and its hypotenuse, to a corresponding top leaf, along a transverse axis located outwardly of the first hinge means, caster means supported beneath the shorter side of each standard, at a point located sufficiently inwardly of its junction with the hypotenuse that said caster means are lifted from the floor when the leaves are unfolded and the standards are swung outwardly about their common hinge means, to tilt the shorter sides from the horizontal and the longer sides from the vertical, and to support the standards upon their outer points, and the top unfolded and its leaves generally in a common plane, supported by the outswung standards.

2. A mobile folding table as in claim 1, wherein the third hinge axis is less than half-way to the end of each leaf from the common hinge axis of the leaves.

3. A mobile folding table as in claim 1, wherein the distance between the second and third hinge axes is greater than the distance between the first and third hinge axes, whereby when the table is folded its leaves are disposed uprightly in contact, intermediate the two standards, and the latter have their two longer sides substantially vertically disposed.

4. A mobile folding table as in claim 3, wherein each standard is recessed downwardly from the upper end of its longer side, to define with the recess of the other standard an upright notch for the reception of the folded, upright leaves.

5. A mobile folding table comprising two like but reversed halves, each half including a top leaf, a standard of generally right-triangular form, of which a shorter lower side is horizontally disposed and a longer upright side is vertically disposed when the table is folded, said standard at its uper end being hingedly connected to its leaf along a transverse axis located intermediate the inner and outer ends of the leaf, but at a distance from the inner end less than the height of the standards upright side, a caster means at the lower side of such standard, located towards but inwardly of the standards outer, lower corner, transverse hinge means interconnecting the inner ends of the two leaves, and transverse hinge means interconnecting the standards at their lower, inner corners.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 279,778 Long June 19, 1883 2,321,328 Stack June 8, 1943 2,545,064 Alch Mar. 13, 1951 2,645,539 Thompson July 14, 1953 

